Tranquilizer used to capture kangaroo on the run

Posted: June 3, 2013 - 12:36am

Associated Press

LACOOCHEE — A kangaroo that was on the run in Pasco County is being held in a pen after wildlife officers used a tranquilizer to stop him.

The sheriff’s office, along with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, captured the kangaroo Sunday morning. The male kangaroo had been on the run since Saturday night and was spotted along the area of Lacoochee.

The 200-pound kangaroo led deputies on a lengthy chase that ended nearly ten hours later.

Authorities have not found the owners of the animal, but sheriff’s office spokeswoman Melanie Snow says a family living in the area has other kangaroos. They have not yet claimed the kangaroo as their own. Wildlife officials say a person can own a kangaroo if they have the specific permits to do so.